Angels and Dragons Story I: Star, Fire, and Prophecy

The innocent one’s voice reverberated through the dragon’s ears. Destiny struck the core of his spirit like a ray of sunlight on a dying flower. He awoke from his meditation. Eyes adjusted to the night sky. Breath quickened. Blood raced to rejuvenate his sleepy muscles.

Scorpius leaped from the snowy mountain peak. He chose to follow the cries. The invincible and magnetic pull of a soul bond could not be denied.

Scorpius knew a star fell from the sky. However, he only saw the image in his mind. Of course, he wanted to look, but the trance state of his meditation wouldn’t allow him to break focus.

Pushing his doubts back into the darkness from whence they came, Scorpius released a deep bellow. The ground shook from the seismic vibrations. As he flew, his eyes scanned the concealed pockets of the vast evergreen. Pressurized currents of his wings sent birds jetting from the treetops and into the starry sky. Even the wolves retreated to their caves. Before they slipped into their drafty tunnels, they unclenched their jaws to howl warnings of the blood to be spilled.

Scorpius hovered over the grove. Cool fall air tingled on his warm scales. The pulses of several men throbbed in his ear drums. A dragon’s ears could hear the constriction of another’s veins, yearnings of a soul, warnings from spirits, and the secrets within his enemy’s walls. These men weren’t close, but they were coming.

Owls hooted. Ravens croaked. Critters scattered along the forest bed. Scorpius’s neck turned left and right. Muscles in his arms and legs twitched. Jagged talons pressed into the impenetrable skin of his fists. He shook his head. Heightened intuition required deep breaths and a commanding mantra.

The mighty dragon, weighing six hundred tons, breathed slowly and deeply, stirring the flames within. In Scorpius’s mind, he said, “My body is weightless and calm. My body is weightless and calm. My body is weightless and calm.” The path to the child revealed itself as though a streak of light appeared over the woods. Scorpius charged forward.

In the center of the ten elderly trees, the tallest and widest of all in the forest of Mysta, was the innocent. A circle of scorched soil surrounded the child. Scorpius flew down. Higher branches arched backward from the current of wind his wings produced. Crisping leaves snapped off trees. Tones of yellow and red scattered in the air.

Mesmerized by the fallen leaves, the child’s sobs ceased. Its coos struck the tenderest spots on Scorpius’s enlarged heart. His only desire was to scoop the child into his arms. Yet, he sensed the lightness of pride in the chests of the men racing towards the child. There was no glow around their auras. He saw only the bleakness of doomful desires.

Fire channels within the beast swelled with fury. Amassing ember-like bolts reignited in his gut. They gathered towards Scorpius’s ample lungs that matched the weight of two glutinous men. Purple and green scales on his body reddened. Nostrils steamed like the boiling springs of Abernath.

Scorpius could hear at least seven men. Amongst the pack, he heard one shout, “Sueits will have victory tonight, my brothers.” Sueit soldiers of the Dark Order hunted only two things, ancient relics and earth angels.

A force of power brewed in the child’s vessel. It was like the fire within Scorpius, but pure. He knew the child had to be an earth angel. Little did most know of them. Fragmented prophecies rumored them to be saviors of New Earth.

Sueit soldiers dashed through the low bushes. Their untamed thumping hearts spoke to the appetence ruling their minds. Though they ran softly, they couldn’t quiet their panting.

Delusion, fear, and avarice leaked from the soldier’s pores. Heavy beaded chains bounced around their necks. Bows chafed against heavy fabric. Sacs filled with steel arrows jiggled on their backs. They had to be at least three hundred yards away.

Scorpius stood in front of the child. Then he widened his stance. His hundred-foot-long tail stretched out to his right. Certain the trees could hear, Scorpius made a promise to protect them from harm.

*

Everything in the forest became quiet, even the child. A single raven flew over them. Before Scorpius could take a full breath, Sueit soldiers leaped from the bushes. Two immediately released their steel arrows.

The bows shot three at a time. Two hit Scorpius in the neck. A couple poked his stomach. He shifted his body side to side to block the arrows from hitting the child.

One soldier shouted, “Grab the angel!”

Two snarling soldiers sprinted forward on Scorpius’s right. He managed to smack one back into the forest, penetrating their chest with the sharp spikes on his tail. With precision, Scorpius aimed a fireball straight at the other soldier’s gut. He lifted the burning corpse. Then flung it high in the air and into the mountain peaks. Screams echoed throughout Mysta.

The child wailed and wiggled in the dirt. The same soldier who shouted for the others to grab the child, ordered them to keep shooting their arrows. One did hit Scorpius's neck but could not break blood.

Scorpius continued to block arrows from hitting the child. The pack leader pulled two metal bars from his coat. Raising his arms, chanting in a foreign language, he banged the metal bars together.

Blurring figures overcame Scorpius’s eyesight. His balance ebbed. A terrible ring clashed in his ears. Scorpius roared. His head shook wildly. The packed leader laughed as he continued banging. This boiled Scorpius’s blood. He calmed his energy and regained focus through the chaos.

Fire bolts the size of boulders shot out of Scorpius’s mouth. One by one the men burned. With his flexible tail, Scorpius lifted and threw each into the mountains before their bodies could touch a single tree or bush.

Full moon light shined over the child and Scorpius. Perfuming pine trees masked the scent of burning flesh. In haste, Scorpius morphed into human form. He ran into the woods to find the corpse of the first man he killed.

The body was sprawled over a bush. Blood was already freezing on the leaves. In the soldier’s pants pocket, he found a small notebook and pipe. He took each and threw it into his arrow sac. Then he confiscated his arrow gun. It took a couple hours for dragons to cool down after breathing fire, so he took the man’s coat.

He hurried back to the enclave. As though he found a baby bird with a broken wing, Scorpius picked up the child. The baby stopped crying. They each looked into each other's eyes. Scorpius saw a world of divinity in the child’s golden gaze. A place not known to even dragons.

A small hand reached up, grabbing onto Scorpius’s thick, dark beard. The child yanked and giggled. Scorpius smiled. Gently, he moved the child’s hand. Concerns and worries drifted into the wind.

It was a blessing for the childless dragon husband. His wife could not bear a youngling. For many years of their long lives, they dreamed of being parents.

Scorpius adjusted his arms to accommodate the child’s wiggling. He brought the baby closer to his chest. Then he started the long hike home.

Coos resounded through the forest. Scorpius, still dazed by the child’s eyes, ignored the steaming tears running down his cheeks. He brough the child closer to him.

Scorpius whispered, “You shall be named Estella Alula, the Earth Angel of Mercy.”

*

The very place that birthed the myths of the one true wonderland, was the Kingdom of Mercy. Mercy ruled the Northern region of New Earth. Nola Mountain lined the southern lands of the kingdom. It acted as the first line of defense as it was the tallest mountain range on New Earth.

Adjacent to the mountains, vicious rapids of the broad Whisper River surged. Above it was the Iron Bridge of Mercy. Mercians deemed it the most elegant and dangerous bridge of all New Earth.

Arrow guns hid on the bottom half of railing planks. Each could release fifteen arrows before the conveyor on the bottom needed to reload. Beneath the walkway, planks hid sharp steel pikes that could penetrate armor as easily as a needle could thread.

Gates of Mercy reflected the higher ranges of Nola. Mercy crest symbols of the Yellow Tree of Prosperity, Mysta Mountain Peak, Stars of Harmonia, and Daymo, the first dragon of Mysta; were painted on the door. The tale of the symbols was not readily disclosed to outsiders.

Farmlands covered the fertile plains of the western villages. Iron makers and craftsmen preferred the cooler end of the kingdom right by the forest of Mysta. Healers, gnosis, and scholars, most cherished by the Royal Council, lived in the eastern villages by the castle.

There was one place in the kingdom that no Mercian dared enter. Veteran guardsmen could not be forced or bribed. Even horses would get too spooked.

That place was the Village of Mysta. High in the mountain peaks, beyond the forest of Mysta, lived a minority community. One made up of shapeshifting dragons who, along with the Great Dragon League, protected the wellness of New Earth.

Mysta’s village council comprised of twelve dragons from the twelve oldest families. The council regulated social exchanges with Mercians and village operations. As needed, they met with the Royal Council of Mercy. The effectual and progressive nature of the Mysta-Mercy Treaty gave them little reason to meet.

Daymo established the treaty with King Yesser the I after the battle of Newha in the Eastern Kingdom. That’s when the Dark Order made their presence known to all on New Earth. It was then Daymo agreed to establish a village in the north and protect the third Crystal of Life. Very few knew four existed. Each ancient stone sustained the energetic balance of all life on New Earth.

Daymo and the Dragon League intended for the secret to die with the obliterated Sueit leader, Vallen Gaffhanger. Very few knew the exact locations of each crystal. Each designated crystal village had the social cover of burgeoning dragon villages being established throughout all New Earth, as intended. All non-crystal villages had a decoy temple and crystal.

When Daymo met with King Yesser the I he found both a neighbor and friend. King Yesser I saw an innocence in Daymo that others wished not to see. Daymo learned about the depths of integrity in humans.

The two wrote the Mysta-Mercy treaty together. First rule of the treaty, no king of Mercy can disclose knowledge regarding Mysta Village and the Crystal of Life. Second rule, breach of the first rule of the treaty would nullify the treaty and result in kingdom destruction and/or war. Third rule, if the first rule is maintained, Mysta dragons promise to live in peace and promote acts of prosperity. Such includes defense during times of war and natural disasters.

It is said Yesser I and his grandson, King Yesser III, are the only two kings to ever dine with the Mysta dragons. King Yesser the II had a terrible phobia of birds. Though, he was a pyro enthusiast at heart.

Sixteen years passed since the day that radiant star fell from the sky. King Yesser III died on the previous year surrounded by family and praised by his people. On his death bed, he gave his son, Fanore Yesser, three orders: maintain the treaty, live in peace with the dragons, and prosper the people of Mercy.

*

The Earth Angel of Mercy was the only outsider to live amongst the dragons. Scorpius, Estella, and Zeni, her dragon mother, lived in a cottage in the west woods of Mysta. Their home was quaint, brick, and secluded.

Many in Mysta rejected Estella. During her younger school years, kids threw stones. Some told her she was a curse. That they heard their own parents saying it.

A group of kids once tricked Estella into believing they wanted to be her friend. They lured her out to the ocean cliffs behind the peak. Four held her down as another child morphed. Tover, the ringleader, blew thin streaks of fire on the back of Estella’s left shoulder. He spelled out freak.

Estella ran into the woods. She returned to the very spot where the Creator delivered her. So young, but her spirit resembled one of a thirsty, heartbroken beast roaming the desert. She screamed at the top of her lungs to be sent back. That she had no other purpose than to be a child loved by her parents, and that would never be enough.

Every day the question of where she came from and why she was sent to New Earth pounded in her mind. It plagued her in the same way chronic pain attacked a laborer’s back. Estella desired relief. Her mind craved answers like a deaf dancer who longed for sound.

Scorpius and Zeni did their best to distract her from the feral onslaught of ignorance. Three days a week, Scorpius trained Estella in combat and swordsmanship. That’s why she only got burned once.

Zeni made it her mission to help Estella awaken her powers. After visiting the scholar's archives in Mercy, Zeni discovered accounts of previous earth angels. Some could read minds, remove illness from the sick, and move objects. A couple accounts mentioned an earth angel who could fly.

Everything Zeni studied she taught Estella. Yet, she made Estella keep her powers a secret. Estella couldn’t even tell her only two friends, Danica and Canis. Together, they were three Mysta rejects who fantasized about their getaway and life beyond Mercy. Danica knew there had to be other small dragons flying in the sky. Canis believed his condition of not being able to produce fire could be cured.

Estella wanted nothing more than to tell them about her powers, but she knew they were safer not knowing. Truth tugging at her throat and constant deflection used to not bother Estella, but as she grew up, it caused unstable and unpredictable energy shifts within her.

She struggled to hide her powers. Anger caused her to move or break objects. One time, after Tover harassed her all day in school, she broke his arm with a twitch of her eyebrows. When Estella cried hard enough to wet her bed sheets and swell her eyes, the village would flood. It would rain for as many days as hours Estella cried.

The dragon council questioned Scorpius about incidents involving Estella. If Scorpius wasn’t Daymo’s son, the council would’ve banished Estella the day after Scorpius rescued her. To them, Estella was Sueit bait.

Every time Estella prepared to pack a bag and set off into the woods, she thought about her parents. It was because of them she knew love and could love despite hatred. All she had to do was picture their cottage and a thousand happy memories would flood her mind, then wash away the pain.

*

It was the day before Mysta’s fall full moon festival. Wagons rolled into the village with goods from Mercy. Some contained food. Others carried precious mead, whiskey, and decorations. Villagers moved through town like busy bees.

Seamstresses coordinated to make streamers and to fulfill orders for dresses and suits. Dragons liked to match their outfits to the shades of their scales. Chemists spent months making their edible color bombs. The powders changed flame colors when dragons released fire.

Younglings worked with teachers to make garlands and banners. Elder council members practiced their speeches. Band practice took place in the square during the late afternoons. Some dragons rehearsed their flight sequences in human form to prep for the air and fire show. First place winner won a barrel of whiskey and one free basket of groceries every week until spring.

On her way home from the village market, Estella ran into Canis and Danica. They each hooked an arm into Estella’s. Estella kissed them both on the cheek.

“We have an idea,” whispered Canis in Estella’s left ear.

“Something rebellious,” whispered Danica in Estella’s right ear. Estella laughed.

“Are we starting a plan to take over New Earth or set off color cannons into the ocean?” Estella asked. Danica and Canis cheered.

“We didn’t think of that, but let’s add it to the list,” said Danica.

“What’s the idea then?”

“We want to sneak you on my back during the ocean ceremony.” Canis answered. Estella stopped in her tracks. She sighed. Her arms unhooked from them both.

“Are you two mad?” Estella shouted. She stopped herself from flinging her basket of produce into the air.

“Absolutely.” Danica exclaimed.

“Without a doubt.” Canis answered.

“If Elder Bavard sees me he’ll have me stoned.”

“We’ll stay off to the side. We promise,” said Danica as she lovingly blinked her orange and copper eyes.

Estella stretched her arms out and twinkled her fingers. Danica and Canis both rolled their eyes. Each clasped hands and formed a small circle.

“I love you two, but I will not be an accessory to your banishments. I will sneak a bottle of mead. Stash it in the woods. Watch the air show. After we’ll share a bottle and watch the stars like we always do. Sound good?” Canis and Danica both grunted.

“Fine.” Canis answered.

“Yeah, yeah. No rebellion. What’s new about that?” Danica asked.

The trio hugged goodbye. Then Estella made her way home for supper.

*

Spoons sank into Zeni’s creamy shrimp stew. Plump carrots, pickled celery, diced golden potatoes, sweet onions, and mushrooms soaked in a savory broth. Thick buttered slices of pumpernickel bread steamed on small saucers. Bowls of arugula, kale, and tomato salad sat next to each plate.

Consumed by flavors and warmth, Estella did not notice her parents looking at her. It wasn’t until her slurping became the only sound in the room. Estella surveyed their looks. Her father’s raised eyebrows preached disappointment. Her mother’s watery eyes spoke of worry and fears.

Estella’s stomach tightened. Shoulders collapsed and sank forward. She pushed away her bowl. Scorpius cleared his throat.

“Did you use your powers in Eartha’s Herb shop?” Estella smacked her lips. She looked away from her parents.

“Estella your father asked you a question.” Estella crossed her arms.

“Yes.” Scorpius sighed and leaned back in his chair. Zeni tapped her foot underneath the table. “It was an accident. Petra Frew was teasing Danica. I got angry. A few jars busted.”

Scorpius did his best to speak with patience. “Stella, you must be more careful. The council-” Estella banged her fist on the table.

“To the pits with the council. They’ve been controlling our lives since the night you saved me.”

“Estella Alula.” Zeni yelled.

“No. I can’t help it.” The table, chairs and floor shook. “The more I hide my powers the worse it gets.”

“Estella breathe,” shouted Zeni. Tears sprinkled over Estella’s salad.

“Aren’t I the Earth Angel of Mercy? Shouldn’t I be embraced?” Estella exclaimed. Two saucers of bread fell onto the floor. Books and jars slid off the shelves.

“Estella calm down,” ordered Scorpius.

“I didn’t ask to be here. Why can’t they just accept me?” Estella gazed at her parents. Tears streamed down her face. Soup spilled onto the floor. “Why can’t I be myself?” Estella muttered.

Zeni ran over to Estella. She wrapped her arms around her.

“I know it’s not fair. I know.” Zeni admitted. The rumbling lessened. Scorpius joined their embrace.

“I’m so sorry.” Scorpius uttered.

Estella cried in her parents' arms until she could no longer keep her eyes open. Guilt burdened Zeni’s and Scorpius’s stomachs like a sugar ache. They knew Estella was right. The more she hid her powers, the more incidents occurred. Scorpius knew he’d have to confess Estella’s true nature to the council. The only question was when.

*

King Fanore, unlike his father, spoke with a flare of ambition. His plan to prosper Mercians included wealth, intimidation, and allies. Three weeks before the Mysta festival, an outsider requested a meeting. This outsider wore a black collared coat. He had black beads around his neck. His hair slicked back. His eyes narrowed like a sleuthing viper. He introduced himself as Gillan Gaffhanger.

This outsider spoke of things only Mercian kings knew. In exchange for Fanore’s assistance in the retrieval of the Earth Angel of Mercy, King Fanore would receive: eight crates of diamonds, four chests of gems, a thousand spring steel swords, and five thousand steel arrows.

King Fanore laughed in Gillan’s face. He tried not to stare at the burn marks on his neck. He could tell the scars reached much further.

Gillan asked the King, “What do you know about dragons?”

“How to live peacefully with them.” King Fanore answered.

“What if I told you I knew how to kill them,” said Gillan.

“Impossible. No weapon can penetrate their shells.”

“You don’t need to penetrate when you can poison their scales,” said Gillan as he laughed.

King Fanore never agreed with his father. Not about what to eat or where the best hunting grounds were. If Mercy was to live a new dawn of prosperity, then change was necessary. Besides, King’s break treaties all the time.

*

Mysta dragons glided over the ocean as the moonlight shined over them. They blew streams of fire enhanced by pigments of color bombs. Streaks of purple, blue, and green lingered in the air after the fire dissipated.

Estella watched from the edge of the ocean cliffs. Her body enjoyed a reprieve after many hours of dancing. Images of Estella spinning to the rhythms of drums replayed in her mind. Her body moved with the looseness of the wind.

Council members granted Estella permission to join feasts and dances when she was seven. On such occasions, no heads shook. No cold eyes leered. Lips didn’t curl. Whispers didn’t reach Estella’s ears. With food, drink, and music, she was just like everybody else.

Estella sat with her knees pressed to her chest. Her chin nested on her forearms. Cool salty ocean air grazed her skin. Chill bumps cropped up along her arms. The bottom of her silk gown lifted into the air. Thoughts slowed. Breath traveled through her body without resistance. Eyelids surrendered to peace.

The snap of a twig popped in Estella’s ears. She kept her eyes closed thinking it was no more than a night critter. Another twig snapped. Rock and sand crackled underneath booted feet. Estella turned. At least forty men in black dress coats emerged from the woods. She leapt to her feet. A man with slicked hair and a burn scar on his neck raised his hand.

“Don’t run,” Gillan commanded.

“Who are you?” Gillan smiled as he slowly approached Estella. She stepped closer to the edge of the cliff. Groups of dragons were heading towards the village.

“We are the Sueits of the Dark Order. We’ve come for you and vengeance,” answered Gillan. He flexed his fingers and cracked his neck. His soldiers sneered. Their black coats flapped in the wind like one big sheet of darkness. Horses within the forest neighed.

“You’re the ones who tried to take me when I came to New Earth.”

“Yes, and this time we will succeed,” professed Gillan. Gillan waved his hand. “Prepare the weapons. The dragons are near.” More soldiers appeared. They pulled large arrow launchers out of the woods.

“I will go with you. Just don’t hurt anyone,” begged Estella.

“Yes, you will. But like I said, we’re here for vengeance as well. I must honor my bloodline,” said Gillan. The men coated the tips of arrows on the launchers with a tacky, dark liquid. “On three.” Gillan announced. Estella turned to the ocean. She screamed as loud as she could for the others to go back. “One, two, and three.”

Estella watched two dozen arrows beam into the sky at full force. A moment of silence passed. The roar of dragons rattled the cliffs. Three fell into the ocean. In front of the dragon pack, Estella could see her mother charging forward. She could never mistake the shimmer of her mother’s purple and turquoise scales.

“MOTHER NO.” Estella yelled. Gillan laughed.

“AGAIN.” Gillan screamed.

More arrows launched. One hit her Zeni on her stomach. Estella cried in horror as she watched her mother hit the ocean face first. The ground shook. Sueits stumbled and mumbled confusion. Estella’s veins bulged throughout her body. Her ears pounded. Adrenaline rushed through her and cleared away her fears. She turned towards the soldiers. Her eyes were brighter than flames. Gillan stepped back. Estella lifted her arms. A golden shield of light dropped from the sky. The barrier blocked the Sueits from the dragons.

Estella locked eyes with a soldier standing behind Gillan. She pictured the inside of his body. Then attuned to the sensitivities of his flesh. With a flick of her finger, the soldier’s knee bones broke. He fell at once.

Forearms, backs, ankles, chests, and necks, Estella wounded them all within seconds. Men hollered curses. Some cried out for their mothers. When she locked eyes with Gillan, he fired an arrow gun into her right shoulder. The barrier fell as Estella collapsed. Blood oozed out of her body. Her father’s roar was the last thing she heard.

*

Gillan threw Estella onto a horse. He raced through the secret back trail of Mysta that led him directly to the castle. It was a secret path only kings of Mercy knew.

Fanore paced at the front of the bridge with twenty of his soldiers. A hoard of Sueit soldiers stood along the bridge. Gillan charged through the open gates. Estella hung over the back of a Sueit’s horse, struggling to breathe and drifting further from consciousness.

Gillan leaped off his horse. “I got what I needed. Give the king his treasure. Sueit soldiers carried cases of jewels and weapons to the head of the gate. Fanore’s muscles tensed. His throat tightened as he gazed at Estella.

“She’s a child,” uttered Fanore.

“She’s barely human,” Gillan answered. Gillan walked towards Fanore. He looked him in the eyes. Then he extended his hand. Stiff with guilt, Fanore stared at Gillan. Gillan smirked and grabbed Fanore’s hands. He cupped them, holding them tightly. Fanore’s men raised their spears. “It has been a pleasure doing business with another greedy king.” Gillan laughed.

“FANORE YESSER.” A woman in a red gown walked through the gates. Fanore’s men bowed. It was Queen Jessa. Behind her stood Bavard, Scorpius, and three others from the dragon council. Gillan did not recognize the dragons in human form, but he saw their eyes of two different colors.

“Jessa, what are you doing?” Fanore asked. Gillan slowly backed away towards his men.

“What’s happening, Fanore?” Fanore looked at Gillan with his mouth agape and eyes blinking. Jessa smiled at her husband with tears in her eyes. She clutched the unraised arrow gun in her hand.

“Fanore, your father gave you three orders on his death bed, but he gave me three as well.”

“Jessa stop this,” mumbled Fanore.

“If my son shall fail, take his place, prosper the people of Mercy, and kill him.” Jessa swiftly shot an arrow through Fanore’s chest. It pierced his heart. “Guards arrest these men, take the treasures, and release bridge defenses.” Five men jumped Gillan. They chained his arms and ankles.

On the bridge, arrow guns fired. Spikes rose from underneath the planks. Men cried out in agony. Dragons flew from above. They unleashed their fire and Sueit soldiers burned to ashes.

*

Estella awoke on a plush bed within the castle of Mercy. Scorpius ran to her. Estella’s wound ached and stiffened her chest, but she was mobile.

Scorpius gently embraced Estella. “I have but a few minutes,” he said.

“Father what’s happening? Is mother alright?” Estella asked.

“She’s recovering. Estella, I need you to listen.”

“The Dragon League will arrive tomorrow to arrest you. They believe you are a curse. Bavard has given you the hour to escape Mercy.”

“WHAT? I WON’T LEAVE.”

“My darling child the league will kill you if need be.” Scorpius held Estella’s hand. “I can’t protect you when they come.”

“Father, this is madness. I need to see mother.” Scorpius kissed Estella’s forehead.

“You can’t. If they suspect she knows anything, they’ll imprison her.”

“What about you?” Estella asked.

“Don’t worry about me. You must leave for the Northeast Kingdom of Casper. Find the knowledge keeper named, Theso. He can guide you to the last whereabouts of the Earth Angel Prophecy. When you find the prophecy, return to the castle. I will have to plea for your life. True knowledge of the prophecy will help.”

“I saved the village. For pits sake, I saved them!” Estella yelled. Scorpius nestled Estella close to his chest.

“And Bavard thanks you with this opportunity to flee. Be sure to avoid any dragon villages during your journey. Canis and Danica will go with you and explain more. Be brave Estella Alula and be yourself.” Scorpius pulled away from Estella. “My mission was to raise and love you. Now your mission begins.” Scorpius ran out of the room.

“Father come back!” Estella shouted. The door slammed behind Scorpius.

Estella tried to breathe through her tears as she got out of bed. She gathered her things and managed to walk out of the room. Canis and Danica stood outside the door with Queen Jessa.

The four headed to the gates. Queen Jessa gave each a parting gift. Estella thanked Queen Jessa and forced her many questions to the back of her mind.

Canis and Danica morphed. Without looking back, Estella hopped on Canis’s back. She heard the wails of a dragon in the distance. Her heart sank. Canis leaped in the sunset.

Finally, they were running away and into the unknown.